BREAKING NEWS

BREAKING NEWS

Bellinger hits for cycle as Dodgers beat Marlins 7-1

National Sports

Jul 16, 2017

By Steven Wine
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) — Cody Bellinger became the first Dodgers rookie to hit for the cycle and Alex Wood became the first Dodgers pitcher in more than a century to win his first 11 decisions in a season, helping the NL West leaders beat the Miami Marlins 7-1 Saturday night for their eighth straight victory.
Bellinger singled in the first inning, hit a two-run homer in the third, added an RBI double in the fourth and hit his second career triple on the first pitch of the seventh. His triple off Nick Wittgren barely cleared the glove of right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, who tried to making a running backhanded catch.
Wood (11-0) struck out 10 in six scoreless innings, allowed only four baserunners and lowered his ERA to 1.56 in 16 games this year.
An angry Yasiel Puig took several steps toward the mound after he was nearly hit by a pitch from Miami’s Jose Urena in the first inning. Puig hit two home runs in Los Angeles’ win Friday, including a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning.
The Dodgers (63-29) climbed 34 games above .500 for the first time and have won 28 of their past 32 games. Their bandwagon included an entire section at Marlins Park, where a group that follows the team on the road unfurled its enormous blue flag with the Dodgers logo during the sixth inning.
Los Angeles took a 5-0 lead in the third when Bellinger hit his 26th homer and Yasmani Grandal added a three-run shot, his 12th.
Bellinger’s cycle — his first four-hit game — was the fifth in the majors this year, and came against three pitchers. He became the third Dodger to hit for the cycle since the team moved to Los Angeles, and the first since Orlando Hudson on April 13, 2009.
Bellinger is the ninth player in the Dodgers’ 128-year history to hit for the cycle. They improved to 54-18 (.750) since he was promoted from the minors.
Urena (7-4) allowed all five runs and needed 82 pitches to get through three innings, his shortest start of the year.
CONFRONTATION
Urena’s first pitch to Puig was a 96 mph fastball that just missed the slugger’s left thigh. Puig shouted at Urena and took several steps as some players and both managers ran onto the field.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto stepped in front of Puig, and after some yelling the confrontation quickly ended. Puig then flied out.
Benches cleared when the teams met in Los Angeles in May, prompting the ejections of Marlins manager Don Mattingly, Dodgers reliever Ross Stripling and Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren.
BATTING ORDER
Puig remained in the No. 8 in the order even though he’s second on the Dodgers with 18 homers.“You look at the numbers and the production he has had, and the easy thing is to put him right in the middle of the order,” manager Dave Roberts said before Saturday’s game. “But I think the right thing at this moment is to stay the course. It puts him in a good spot in the order, and the results are there.”
The Dodgers improved to 31-6 (.838) when Puig bats eighth.
MISMATCH
Stanton went 0 for 2 with a walk against Wood and is 3 for 25 lifetime (.120) against the left-hander.
UP NEXT
LHP Rich Hill (5-4, 3.69) is scheduled to start the series finale Sunday for the Dodgers. Hill made his most recent appearance at Marlins Park last September, when he threw seven perfect innings before Roberts pulled him, mindful the lefty had been sidelined by a blister earlier in the season. Three relievers completed a two-hit shutout.
RHP Tom Koehler (1-4, 8.00) will start for Miami as a replacement for RHP Edinson Volquez (left knee tendinitis).